Tumor Tip of the Week 07-10-2026 Sarcoma Grade Check: Don’t Let the Histology Fool You
07-10-2026 Sarcoma Grade Check: Don’t Let the Histology Fool You Scenario #1: 2026 Core biopsy right thigh mass: dedifferentiated liposarcoma [no further information about grade mentioned in path report] Question: How would you assign Grade Clinical? 3 G3: Sum of differentiation score, mitotic count score and necrosis score of 6, 7, or 8. Stated as […]
Tumor Tip of the Week 07-01-2026 FIT Check: Is Your Staging Version Up to Date—or Out of Season?
07-01-2026 FIT Check: Is Your Staging Version Up to Date—or Out of Season? Cancer Type AJCC Manual to Use Dx Date Effective Anus AJCC Version 9 Protocol 01/01/2023 Appendix AJCC Version 9 Protocol 01/01/2023 Brain and Spinal Cord AJCC Version 9 Protocol 01/01/2023 Cervix Uteri AJCC Version 9 Protocol 01/01/2021 Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma AJCC […]
Tumor Tip of the Week-06-26-2026 Surgeries are Cumulative
06-26-2026 Surgeries are Cumulative Scenario: Previous right colon cancer > than 10 years ago, status post right hemicolectomy. The patient recently had GI bleeding and colonoscopy showed recurrent colon cancer at the anastomosis between the transverse colon and the small intestine. Presents for Laparoscopic hand assisted resection of transverse colon Question: How will you code […]
Tumor Tip of the Week 06-19-2026 Myeloid Leukemia associated with Down Syndrome
06-19-2026 Myeloid Leukemia associated with Down Syndrome Scenario: 13-year-old boy with Trisomy 21 presents for treatment with recent diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Bone Marrow Bx: AML (No other information available in EMR) Question: How will you code the histology? 9860/3 Myeloid leukemia NOS 9861/3 Acute Myeloid leukemia, NOS 9898/3 Myeloid leukemia associated with Down […]
Tumor Tip of the Week-06-12-2026 Primary Site Starts with the Manual-Not the Drop Down
06-12-2026 Primary Site Starts with the Manual-Not the Drop Down Scenario: Scans show 6cm Mesenteric Mass (only site of activity) Bx mesenteric mass: large b cell lymphoma, germinal center type Question: What is primary site? C77.2 Intra-abdominal lymph nodes C48.1 Mesentery C77.9 Lymph node, NOS Answer: C77.2 Intra-abdominal lymph nodes Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Coding […]
Tumor Tip of the Week 06-05-2024 Preferred grading system not used and Generic Grade Categories Not Applicable
06-05-2024 Preferred grading system not used and Generic Grade Categories Not Applicable Scenario: Biopsy of Endometrium: Well differentiated clear cell adenocarcinoma, FIGO Grade 1 TAH, BSO: High grade clear cell adenocarcinoma Question: What is Grade Pathologic? 1 G1 FIGO Grade 1 G1: Well differentiated 3 G3 FIGO Grade 3 G3: Poorly differentiated or undifferentiated 9 […]
Tumor Tip of the Week 05-29-2026 Positive Results, But Not Your Call
05-29-2026 Positive Results, But Not Your Call Scenario: [Case Scenario from Ask a SEER Registrar and posted in Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Coding Manual] Path Report: Final diagnosis: Acute myeloid leukemia with monocytic differentiation. Note: The combined morphologic and immunophenotypic findings are consistent with involvement by an acute myeloid leukemia with monocytic differentiation. Cytogenetics: RUNX1, […]
Tumor Tip of the Week – 05-22-2026 Dose Detectives-Finding the Hidden QA Issue
05-22-2026 Dose Detectives-Finding the Hidden QA Issue Take a look at this list of cases generated from the registry software (Radiation Course Total Dose field highlighted). Can you spot the quality issues? Start training your brain to think analytically—it’s the key to quickly catching patterns and identifying potential data concerns.
Tumor Tip of the Week – 05-15-2026 v9 Oropharynx HPV Associated <6 nodes
Scenario: 2026 diagnosis Presented with biopsy +Base of Tongue SCC p16+ PET: Ill-defined hypermetabolic fullness left base of tongue in concordance w/underlying SCC. No evidence of metastatic disease. Transoral robotic left base of tongue resection, left neck dissection: 1.0 cm HPV Associated SCC, LVI-, PNI-, Margins-, 5 lymph nodes (Left Level 2A,3,4, 2B) negative Question: […]
Tumor Tip of the Week -05-01-2026 Gleason Tertiary Pattern
05-01-2026 Gleason Tertiary Pattern Scenario: Snip from Radical Prostatectomy Question: How would you code the SSDI Gleason Tertiary Pattern? 40, Tertiary pattern 4 X9, Not documented in medical record/ Gleason Tertiary Pattern not assessed or unknown if assessed Answer: X9, Not documented in medical record/ Gleason Tertiary Pattern not assessed or unknown if assessed SSDI Manual Gleason Tertiary Pattern Record the tertiary pattern […]